Agápe: A story of unconditional love
by ck2014
Summary: She was perfect in his eyes. He was complicated in her eyes. Together they fit like a puzzle, giving what the other doesn't have.
1. Prologue

She was perfect in his eyes. True, it was her physical appearance that had originally captured his attention, but it was her personality that made him fall. Sure, she was beautiful; there was no doubting that fact with her luminous green eyes and red hair that cascaded against her ivory skin in waves. Oh, yes, she was beautiful. But her heart, her inner beauty… perfection. The way she could love those who treated her as less than human, the way she would help the first years in their coursework, and especially the way she was loyal and loving to her friends, it was hard for him to understand why no one else was just as mad as he was about her. No one else saw what he saw, the way that he did. Sure, they saw an awesome friend who was exceedingly loyal and fiercely devoted to her friends, but even his friends wondered why he had chased after her for so long—Remus, not so much—but Sirius and Peter questioned his sanity. Why? That would be because he had done a thorough job of getting her to hate him. From charming her hair green in first year to pushing her best friend over the edge into finally siding with the Death Eaters, she despised him, and James was determined to earn Lily's forgiveness, afraid of his own guilt.

He was complicated in her eyes. Physically, not so much; There was no denying that he was attractive with his messy black hair, brilliant hazel eyes, and a body that was perhaps a little too fit, consistently distracting her. Oh, yes, he was attractive. But it was his personality that was so… conflicting. When he was attempting to convince her that he cared about her and trying to prove himself on the Quidditch field or with his friends, it was impossible not to believe… at the time. The trust would be broken a few moments later when he would be pulling pranks on the first years or hexing her best friend—well, ex-best friend. His "get even" attitude was evident in the way he treated his enemies, but is loyalty was clear in the way he interacted with his friends. But his ego, oh, yes. She didn't understand how none of the other girls could see his arrogance. Even her friends didn't understand why she constantly turned him down through out the years—Marlene not so much—but Alice and Dorcas gave her grief about it. Why? Because she didn't hate him. In fact, she actually liked him. A lot. But he pulled all of those pranks on her and finished her and Severus's friendship. She liked him, but she couldn't trust him, and Lily, was determined to avoid him, afraid of what she might feel.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! Sorry it's taken forever for me to update. I actually have been writing a lot, I just haven't had time to upload. Thanks for all the reads, I know there wasn't much, but I would love to know if this is something I should continue! Reviews are awesome!**

_It's a new year_, she told herself_. Breathe deeply. Last year is done. You can't change it_. Lily has come to terms with this fact as fifth year ended and she had left Hogwarts for summer break. Sixth year had begun with Severus groveling at her feet, begging her to forgive him. That worried her, that she would take him back and forgive him for what he's pledged his life to. But in all honesty, she was nervous about giving into _him_, of falling for it. He had written her a letter over the winter explaining his behavior, apologizing for his actions, asking her for a chance to prove himself _as a friend_. Why she had accepted, she didn't know, well, not completely. Never the less, the two had been writing all winter break, and Lily had begun anticipating his letters. They were captivating. Maybe it was the fact that Severus had completely shredded what was left of their friendship, or that Lily was actually beginning to fancy this new side of him, but James Potter's letters were a window through his arrogant exterior into a new side of him that she had never seen before. Being friends with him was fine, but finding out that Remus, Alice, Marlene and Mary were right, that if she gave James a chance that she might actually like him was too much to handle. But she had agreed to give him a chance to prove himself as a friend, and Lily was really enjoying his presence in her life.

As Lily sat down contemplating this, her mother called up, "Lily, I hope you're up and moving!" Lily smiled to herself and grabbed her trunk and went downstairs to the kitchen. Sitting at the table Lily said, "You know I barely sleep before I go back to school."

"I know, Lils, I could hear you moving around 3 this morning. What were you doing, moving furniture?" Lily's dad said walking into the room.

Lily smiled. She loved her family; she just wished all of them loved her back. Her sister, Petunia , who had just walked into the room with the ever-present scowl on her face, had almost hated her when she got her Hogwarts letter and it hadn't gotten much better since. _Freak._ She didn't understand why her sister hated her so much. It wasn't like Lily could change her abilities. None the less, Lily tried consistently to reconcile their relationship however, Petunia rejected every time.

It was during one of Petunia's rants that a familiar owl tapped on the window. Lily smiled, ignoring Petuna's less than happy remarks, and retrieved the letter, which had her name scrawled in James Potter's penmanship.

"_Lily,_

_I'm sorry that your sister is treating you this way. Family is supposed to love and support you, no matter what. It sounds to me that she is exceedingly jealous, and who could blame her… You're amazing…_

_Um, well. On a less awkward note, Sirius moved in with me. He just showed up around dinnertime with his stuff and asked if he could crash here. Of course, we said yes. He's been with us ever since. There are some…issues… with his family. But on the bright side he's back with us, and tomorrow we will be on our way back to Hogwarts._

_Speaking of that… How do I word this… What, exactly, is going to happen when we go back to school? I mean, are we going to keep writing letters in secret, or are we going to be, I don't know, maybe friends? I can understand if you don't. I know I've been terrible git to you for the past five and a half years, but I would really like a chance to prove myself to you._

_So, in an attempt of me trying to not make a bigger arse out of myself, I'll leave it at that. See you soon._

_Yours,_

_James."_

Lily smiled. She fancied him; there was no doubting that. But she couldn't allow herself to run down the path of falling in love with him. However, that didn't mean that she didn't want to be friends with him. These letters showed her a side of James that she never knew, a side that she genuinely liked.

Upon this decision, Lily took out her parchment and quill and began her reply.

_It's a new year, _he told himself. _Breathe deeply. Last year is done. You can't change it. _It had taken James a while to come to terms with this fact. Sixth year had begun the same as any other. She hated him because he was an arrogant prat. In all honesty, he was nervous that she was only talking to him because she knew that he felt terrible. _Pity_. He wrote her a letter over winter break apologizing, and admitting he was wrong in his behavior. He hadn't expected a reply, and he surely hadn't expected her to accept his apology. So the two had been writing back and forth and James looked forward to each reply. She was captivating; He was completely drawn in. He really thought he knew her based on the information he had found out from other people, but there was so much more to her than what he originally saw. He liked learning about her. He didn't know if it was the fact that he had wrecked her closest friendship and was lonely or if she was feeling sorry for him, but he was using this opportunity to show her the real him, and this new side of Lily Evans was more than he could hope for. Being friends with her was fine, and Remus, Sirius, Alice, Marlene and Mary were right, that if he backed off and quit being so arrogant, then she might see that she might actually like him. But he was coming to the fact that he didn't _like _Lily and more… He _loved_ her. But she had agreed to be friends with him, and James would take what he could get because he enjoyed her presence in his life.

As he sat mulling this over, Sirius bounded into his room and tackled him. "Thinking about Evans, I see. Prongs, you need to stop pining after her. It's unhealthy for you to be after one bird."

James smiled. "Padfoot, I am not you. Lily is the only one for me… I just need to help her see it."

"Yes, Prongsie, we all know you aren't as devilishly handsome as me," Sirius smirked.

James chuckled, "Nah, I'm just not a man-whore."

That comment brought out a form of brotherly affection consisting of wrestling and name calling, up until an owl tapped on the window. Both boys froze until Sirius got a cunning grin on his face.

"Well, well, Prongs. Who are you getting love letters from?" He asked. As Padfoot was reaching for the bird Mrs. Potter called up to them. "Boys, it's time for breakfast!" Sirius, forgetting about his previous endeavor, was out the door before the sentence was finished. James sighed in relief, and reached for the note which had a letter addressed to him in Lily's soft handwriting. James smiled and began reading.

"_Dearest James—_

_While I highly doubt Petunia is actually jealous of me, thank you for attempting to make me feel better. I just wish we could go back to before I knew what magic was, just the friendship, not being a muggle. _

_I'm sorry to hear about Sirius' falling out with his family, but I know he is better off with you. In my opinion, Sirius was never a part of the Black family. Based on the howler he got in first year because he was sorted into Gryffindor, they've only cared about the Black name, not Sirius. You, Remus and Peter are easily his family. I admire that. _

_Honestly, James, I've spent the whole winter break writing you and calling you by your first name. You've succeeded in showing me a different side of you. I know, shocking. I'm admitting I was wrong in my judgment of you. Of course I want to be friends with you._

_And I don't think you're making an arse out of yourself… I actually think it's rather cute when you get nervous…_

_Um, well. I guess I'll see you on the train, maybe?_

_With Love,_

_Lily."_

James smiled. He loved her, there was no doubting that. And she had said that he had succeeded, and that it's cute when he's nervous… But he couldn't ask her out until he was sure she would say yes. He wouldn't be immature about this again. So he would wait, and be friends with her.

Upon this decision, he began packing to return to Hogwarts.


	3. Chapter 3

Lily was nervous. Today she was going to see him for the first time since they had become "friends" and she was extremely anxious. "_I hope he doesn't act like a prat, _Lily thought, _He should know by now that doesn't impress me_. She stood there in Kings Cross Station staring at the Hogwarts Express.

As she was mulling this over, Remus Lupin strolled up wearing his signature "Marauder smirk" guessing correctly what she was thinking of. "Don't over think this, Lils. You pretty much made his Christmas by finally agreeing to be his friend."

Lily broke from her trance, blushing. "It's really no big deal. He's got other friends…" She trailed off knowing that no matter how many times she said it, this was the biggest deal that Hogwarts would see during their time.

Remus laughed. "Yeah. He does have other friends. But you are the one that he cares about the most, and you and I both know that."

"Oh please," Lily scoffed. "You guys are like brothers to him."

"Yeah, Lily. James, Sirius, Peter and I are like family, and we always have, always will be, whereas you are the person that he wants to snog more than anything due to the fact that he's mad about you."

Upon this revelation, Lily stood there not knowing what to say because to some degree, she knew Remus wasn't lying. And it was this moment that James chose to show up with Sirius. The three Marauders had a brotherly moment before James turned to Lily shyly.

"Hey, Lily." He said it as a question; as if testing the waters.

Lily blushed. "Hello, James," she squeaked, causing her to turn a deeper shade of red.

Remus and Sirius looked on, knowing that it was only a matter of time before it happened, but James had better not mess this up.

James and Lily stood there looking at each other. James opened his mouth to ask her about her break, but Lily cut him off, "I should go find Alice, Mary and Marlene…"

"Uh, yeah. Definitely," he stammered out. He was slightly nervous, which wouldn't have been obvious had he not run his hand through his hair, causing it to be messier.

"Um. Would you guys mind, maybe, saving us room in your compartment? A group of first years took ours on the last ride and I don't have the heart to kick them out." Maybe that was a white lie. Lily had offered them the compartment, and it was turning into more of an excuse to spend more time with James.

"Yeah, absolutely. We should have plenty of room, right guys?" James asked a little too excitedly.

"Yeah, mate. We can always make the ride much more _interesting_ with the birds in our compartment." Sirius said suggestively, winking in the directions of James and Lily. Remus sniggered.

"Oh-kay? See you guys in a little bit." Lily said, turning a deeper crimson.

James watched as she retreated into the crowd to find her friends. "PRONGS," Sirius yelled, bringing him out of his reverie. James rounded on him.

"Whatever you're thinking Padfoot, don't. I just got her to be friends with me and this is the key to me finally getting her to see me in a different light, and possibly even like me. Please don't ruin this before it even begins," James pleaded.

"Prongs," Remus said in an uplifting voice, "You are perfectly capable of ruining this yourself; no need to blame Padfoot." At the end of it, Remus was smirking and Sirius was laughing.

James sighed looking down at his shoes. "You guys don't think I know that? I know that every single one of you, Lily included, is waiting for me to mess this up."

"Mate, we aren't waiting for you to mess up, and neither is Lily. You would think that the past five years would be enough to get all of your screw-ups out of the way. She likes you, James. She told me that while we were doing rounds. She just doesn't know how to understand you. One moment you're being normal, and the next, you're hexing Slytherins. Just be you. You'll win her over eventually," encouraged Remus.

"Wait, Lily likes me?" James was dumbfounded. "There's no way."

"She fancies you, mate. Anyone with eyes can see that. The only reason nothing's happened is because our little flower over-thinks everything," chuckled Sirius. By this point they turned to get on the train and get to their compartment.

"Then I must be blind, because I don't see it," James said, sadly, scuffling his feet through the Hogwarts Express.

"Prongs, why do you think she's talking to you?" Remus said exasperated, "She is giving you a chance because she wants to see if something's there. Have a little confidence in yourself, because honestly, if you go in thinking you're defeated, then you are."

James shook his head suddenly, as if waking up. "You guys are right, I'm acting like a nancy boy." The three boys chuckled. By the time they had reached their compartment, Peter was already sitting in it. "Hey guys. Sorry I didn't meet you on the platform like we planned. My mom was being ridiculous about my grades and I wanted to get away from her."

Sirius clapped him on the shoulder. "I understand, mate. I understand all too well," he sighed, wiping a false tear. They laughed, and updated each other on their Christmas'.

Meanwhile, Lily was cursing herself for allowing what Remus had said about James, and trying to confront the feelings that overwhelmed her by themere sight of James before she ran into her friends. The loud squeal from behind her told her that she was too late.

As Lily turned, Alice Fortescue grabbed her and hugged her fiercely. As if noticing something was amiss, Alice pulled back and studied Lily's face. "What's wrong, Lils?" Lily let out a forced laugh. "What makes you think something's wrong?"

"You're playing with your hair and glancing around nervously trying not to make eye contact with me. Yes something's wrong. It's like you're questioning the fact that we've been best friends for the past five and a half years."

Lily paused. "Okay, creepy."

Alice waited expectantly, looking at her friend.

Lily continued, "James and I are friends."

Alice's jaw dropped to the ground.

"Hey guys…" Marlene McKinnon and Mary MacDonald had walked up. _It seems like everyone has perfect timing today_, Lily thought.

"Not now. Lily's just told me that she and Potter, no, I'm sorry, she called him 'James'; SHE AND JAMES ARE FRIENDS NOW!"

Mary's jaw also hit the ground, while Marlene looked smug. "When's the wedding, Lily-flower?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "That's not all," she said, ignoring Marlene's comment completely. "We're sitting in their compartment on the train ride…" She had trailed off because the other two out of the three girls began fishing out their wallets. Alice and Mary handed 3 galleons to Marlene.

"You guys bet on this?" Lily shrieked. "I can't believe you!"

Marlene chuckled. "Come on. Lets go see lover boy in the compartment so you two can flirt the whole ride." Lily elbowed Marlene, and they walked to the compartment. Lily hesitated.

"Lils, we won't embarrass you. We were just giving you a hard time," Alice comforted her friend.

"What if he's changed his mind?" Lily said quietly. A moment passed, confirming the assumption that was on the other three girl's minds. Mary finally answered. "Lily, he's had five and a half years to change his mind, and he still wants you. Don't let the fear of the unknown keep you from a chance at happiness."

Marlene patted her on the back, and Lily looked at her friend appreciatively. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door of the compartment. It opened, revealing four boys buried underneath a monstrous amount of sweets of the trolley. From behind one of the mounds, James stuck his head up and said, "Come on in girls."

Lily laughed and stepped her foot in. A chocolate frog had hopped out of the compartment and down the hallway of the train. "How do you presume we do that?"

Suddenly, James' hand stuck out of the pile and pulled her in. Lily shrieked and was pulled in between James and Sirius. Sirius turned to face Lily and gave her a toothy grin, which was filled with chocolate.

"You're such a pig, Sirius. No wonder you've had a dry spot with the ladies," smirked Lily.

"Oi, that dry spell ended when I got with that muggle girl from down the street over this Christmas break," he responded, braggingly.

"Now he's just a man-whore," said Marlene, rolling her eyes. The rest of the compartment chuckled, and James turned his attention to Lily. "How was the rest of your break, Lily?"

Lily blushed. He had said it softly, only to her, and she looked back at him. "It was alright. My sister got herself a boyfriend, and he's a walrus of a man."

"Is he really that big?" James asked.

"No, I actually think he is part walrus." James looked confused, and Lily chuckled. "I was being sarcastic. I think." With that James joined in.

"How was yours, James?"

"Eh. It was pretty good. My dad was home most of Christmas, which is unusual since he's Head Auror, and Sirius moved in with us. I also made a new friend and got to owl her every day," he finished off smiling directly at her, causing her to flush into a deeper hue of red. Lily pushed him in the chest and he grabbed her hand. Almost immediately, they locked eyes, until James dropped her hand clearing his throat. Lily became very focused on the box of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans. They thought that moment would go unobserved, but the other six people in that compartment were watching intently, while trying to have "normal" conversations.

"So, Lily, are you actually going to come to the Gryffindor Quidditch matches now that you and Prongs are friends?"

"Padfoot, stop tormenting her," James said, and then muttered, "She doesn't have to come to anything she doesn't want to…" He trailed off.

"Actually, I have a confession." Everyone looked at Lily expectantly. "I haven't missed a Gryffindor Quidditch match. I just chose not to sit with everyone. I usually watch them from the Astronomy tower." She finished off quietly.

James looked up at her. "Really? I always thought that you hated Quidditch!"

"Yeah Lils. All these years we've thought you were in the library studying and you could have been at the matches with us! What gives?" asked Marlene.

"I know why," said Alice in a sing-song voice. "She used to go to all the matches until after the first match of third year. Anyone remember now?"

By this time, James had slouched in his seat, and Lily was bright red. Sirius' hand shot up in the air, "Oh, that should have been obvious. That was the first time James ever asked out Lily… In front of everyone… Using a Sonorus Charm." As the revelation continued, the rest of the compartment had bursted out laughing and James and Lily were wishing to be anywhere but there.

After gaining whatever dignity he had left, James turned to Lily. "I know that we're friends now, but Lily, I am so sorry the way that I treated you. I was a prat. I wont ever do anything like that again, I promise. I know that it embarrasses you." He had said it with such conviction, and Lily's heart contracted a bit. _You won't do anything like that again?_ Her heart sunk, but tried to place a grateful look on her face. She was thankful that he wouldn't try to be a prat anymore, but wasn't sure if she didn't want him asking her out anymore.

She couldn't explain all of this to him without revealing her feelings, and settled with, "Thanks, James." She leaned back and tried to relax her heart.

James was talking to Remus when he felt a weight on his shoulder. He looked only to see Lily, sleeping. _She looks so peaceful, _James thought. He watched her for what he thought was a moment.

"You're in love with her, aren't you?" Remus' voice broke him out of his reverie. He looked around to see the rest of the compartment sleeping.

Safely, he replied, "Yeah, Moony. I'm in love with Lily."

That was the last conscious thought that Lily had before she fully drifted off to sleep.

**Authors Note:**

**Wow. Almost a full year since I've updated. I am so sorry to those of you who have alerted this story, because I know what it's like to be anxious for the next chapter. This past year was crazy. One of my friends ended up in the hospital with a traumatic brain injury and is recovering, so I've been working on helping him get back on his feet. **

**While I haven't had time to update, I've had lots of time to write. So, be excited, because I will be updating a lot more now that this craziness has died down.**

**Review please. (:**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Thanks for all the views and story alerts! Just a disclaimer that I don't own any of this. I'm no where near as creative as J.K. Rowling.**

**And thanks redandgoldlions for the review! **

_It was bright. She was in a meadow filled with red poppies. She was wearing a white sundress and was running through the field, laughing. Strong arms grabbed her around the middle, picked her up, and swung her around in a circle. She wasn't frightened, though. No, if anything, she laughed harder. Once her feet were firmly on the ground, the arms loosened, but didn't leave her waist. She turned and met hazel eyes flecked with gold. James smiled and whispered, "I love you, Lily." With that, he leaned forward and Lily closed her eyes and—_

"Lily," the same voice from her dreams was caressing her. James gently shook her. "Lily, you need to wake up and get changed into your robes. We'll be back at Hogwarts soon."

Lily opened her eyes and realized that she was resting her head on James' shoulder. She shot up, looking at the ground, blushing. "Where did the girls go?"

"Well, Mary and Marlene went to go change, and Alice went to find Frank—" but before James could finish, Lily bolted from the compartment. He turned to Remus, distressed. "What have I done now?"

Remus had a small smile. "Nothing, James. You actually did something right this time." James scoffed. "How could I have possibly done something right? She was out of here before I could even get a word out, and she wouldn't even look at me."

"Prongs, you had the opportunity to rub this in her face, make her feel extremely more awkward than she already felt, and humiliate her. If anything, you tried to comfort her more than anything else. You didn't do anything wrong, you're just achieving the task at hand, which is to get Lily to see you in a different light."

"But why did she bolt from here?" At this, Sirius, who had been very quiet until then, spoke up. "She's confused about you, Prongs. Everything that you're doing now conflicts with every immature thing that you, well _we_, have done in the past."

James and Remus looked at Sirius, dumbfounded. "And here I thought that you were just a pretty face who liked shagging girls," Remus said winking.

"You should just keep on doing this," Sirius continued, "and you'll have her in a broom closet in no time." He finished with his signature smirk while James got a rather serious look on his face. "Lily is worth _so_ much more than a broom closet."

"Mate, we get it. You might have just realized that you love Lily, but this is something that you're confirming what we figured out in third year," said Sirius.

"And besides," Remus said with a wicked expression, "just because you're in love doesn't mean you can't have a little fun in a broom closet."

"Moony! And here I thought you were the innocent one!" exclaimed James. Sirius, however, looked like he was about to cry. "I. Am. So. Proud. Finally, someone understands how much fun shagging can be! Wait, Moony. Who did you shag?"

While Peter was almost comatose, the other two boys began pestering Remus about his history until the train reached the station.

Lily ran from the compartment, only to run into the one person that she didn't want to see. "Lily." Severus Snape stood before her with a hopeful expression on his face. Lily rolled her eyes and tried to pass him, but he grabbed her arm. "Lily, please hear me out!" She tried to shake her arm from his grasp. "All the talking is done, Snape. I'm done with you."

When he wouldn't relent, she sighed and finally looked at him. "Lily, I am so sorry. I never meant…" Lily cut him off. "You never meant to what, Snape? You betrayed me in one of the most hideous ways possible. You said, when we first came to Hogwarts, that there was nothing wrong with being a muggleborn, but you knew that there was something wrong with it. You spent the past 5 years trying to turn me against the rest of my house, and when it backfired, you humiliated me in front of the entire school by calling me a _mudblood_. Now you have the audacity to think you automatically have the right at the so-called 'friendship' that we had? I thought that I made myself perfectly clear in that I want absolutely _nothing_ to do with you at the moment."

Lily had turned to walk away, but Severus replied, obviously angry, "But now you and _Potter_ are friends?" She whipped around and glared at him. "James has nothing to do with this."

"He has _everything_ to do with this! He's an arrogant prat! Have you forgotten the fact that he and his band of idiots tormented me, and you for that matter, for the past five years?"

"Don't you ever call James arrogant again. He is twice the man you will ever be, and those four boys have been better friends to me than you have been to me in seven years, Severus Snape. So forgive me for not wanting to back track on the qualities of my friendships."

With that, she turned and left for good in search of Alice. It was bad enough to have made an arse of herself in front of the Marauders, but then she had to deal with Sev too. It was too much. And that dream? Lily had no idea what to do with that. She continued searching for _someone_, and finally came across Mary. "Lily?" Mary asked worriedly, "Lily, what's going on?"

"Can I talk to you for a second? It's about James." Mary's eyes lit up, and she smiled. "Of course, Lily."

They found an empty compartment, by a lucky chance, and stepped inside. "I had a dream about James," Lily blurted out. "I had a dream about kissing James, and now I have no idea what to do about it. And I woke up and my head was on his shoulder, and he wasn't a prat about it. He didn't say anything to embarrass me, and he woke me up gently and for a second there _it almost sounded like he cared about me!_" By the time Lily finished, she was breathing deeply, trying to calm herself down.

Mary just smiled. "Lily. You fancy James, don't you?" Lily hesitated to answer. "Look, Mary. Me fancying him isn't the question. I do, but is James going to be consistent about this? I'm not ready to jump into anything, and I don't want him to waste his time on something that might not even happen, or if I do decide that I want this and then he decides he doesn't… I don't know what I would do." Lily was at a loss for words, just shaking her head.

Mary was still smiling. "Look, Lils, James is crazy about you. He's changed ever since… Well. Since the _incident_ last year with Snape, and I don't think he's ever going to go back to who he was. I know you were distraught about that whole ordeal, but James was completely broken that you were so torn up. He tried to think of every single way to cheer you up, but everyone told him to give you your space. And in case you haven't realized this, the reason it sounded like he cared about you is because he's over the moon about you and would do anything just to put a smile on your face. I understand that you don't want to rush into anything, but Lily, I swear to God that if you push him away because you're afraid, I _personally_ will punch you." With that, Lily laughed and went to go change her clothes, purposely not telling Mary about the part where James had told Remus that he was "in love" with her. She just couldn't face or accept that yet.

**AN (Again.): I know it's shorter than the last chapter, but it seemed like a good place to leave it until next time. Review please! (:**


	5. Chapter 5

**I own nothing but the plot.**

In the weeks back at Hogwarts, Lily had forgotten about the exchange between James and Remus on the train. Well, she hadn't forgotten, but she was choosing to be oblivious, and more focusing on just being friends. At the current moment, Lily was sitting in her favorite nook in the library, where there was a window overlooking the way to Hagrid's hut. She was at peace in the midst of chaos.

"Surprise," said a smiling voice. She turned her head to see James Potter standing there with a cup of tea. Lily smiled. "Black tea with milk and a small spoon of sugar. I thought you might want something since you've been holed up here all day."

It was Saturday, but it wasn't a Hogsmeade visit. Many of the students were struggling to find something to do, but Lily found peace in the library. "Don't make it sound so negative! I've gotten a lot of work done today. Now I just need to finish my transfiguration work," she finished off focusing on the work before her with a slightly confused look on her face. "Having trouble?" James asked curiously. Lily laughed. "That's the understatement of the year. I've never been able to pick up transfiguration easily."

"What are you talking about?" James said incredulously, placing the tea before her and sitting down. "Transfiguration is by far the easiest subject that Hogwarts has to offer!"

Lily scoffed. "Please. Potions is easy. You just follow the instructions—oh wait, now I know why that class is hard for you," she said smirking. He chuckled. "Of course _you_ would bring that up. Just because I disregard the rules a few," Lily coughed loudly choking on the tea from laughing, "Yes a _few_ times doesn't mean that I would let that get in the way of my studies." By this point, Lily was in hysterics from laughing so hard. "Alright, fine! I guess you wouldn't like some help then?" By this time, Lily was trying to catch her breath and wiping the tears from laughing.

"How could you possibly help me with Transfiguration?" she asked, not expecting him to give a serious answer. He merely looked at her with a small grin on his face. Then, he suddenly looked away, blushing. Almost inaudibly, he said, "I'm top of the class in Transfiguration." He then got up to walk away, but a small hand stopped him. Lily looked up at him, flushing slightly, "Really, James?" He gave a small, imperceptive nod not expecting this conversation to continue. "James? Would you mind helping me?"

James looked at her, his emotions almost getting the best of him. He wanted nothing more than to grab her and kiss her, but knew that in order to prove himself to her he had to wait. "Of course."

"Move! I can't see!" One of the girls whispered pushing a boy out of the way. "Alice, back off. Stop pushing me, because I already can't see due to Sirius' fat head in the way."

"Hey, Prongs is my best mate—"

"Oi, he's all of our best mate—"

"Well Lily is ours!"

"Guys, we shouldn't be spying on them." This caused the other five to turn around and look at Mary, the one who had spoken the words. Remus sighed. "Come on guys. Lets see if we can find something else to do in the common room and leave them be."

"Yeah, right mate, I'm staying right—" Sirius was cut off by Remus grabbing the collar of his shirt and dragging him from the library. The other four followed him, reluctantly.

Lily and James sat laughing in the reading nook. "I can't believe you guys got away with that," Lily said. They had finished Transfiguration around 20 minutes ago, and were now talking about the Marauder's back to class prank that was pulled. James looked at her, "I can't believe that you aren't ripping my head off for admitting it. There was never any proof it was us, you know."

She laughed. "Except for the fact that you four were the only ones unharmed!"

"Oi, it was a harmless prank!"

"You know what I meant, James."

The two laughed for a little bit longer, and then James got a more serious look on his face. "Can I show you something, Lily?" He looked vulnerable, unsure. Lily had a small smile on her face and replied hesitantly, "Okay." He smiled then and offered his hand. She looked even more hesitant to take it. "Come on, Lily. I won't bite." She raised an eyebrow. "Really? Well, that discredits about half of the rumors I've heard about you." James looked openmouthed at her as she smirked. "Are you going to show me whatever it is that you wanted to show me, James?"

He shook his head while grabbing her hand and said, "You never cease to amaze me, Lily Evans."

With that, he pulled her from the library, weaving through the hallways of Hogwarts until they stopped at a dead end. James released her hand and began pacing back and forth in front of the wall.

"Potter, what are you doing? You look like a bloody moron, pacing back and…" Lily had trailed off as a door began to materialize in the wall in front of her. James turned to her and smirked. "You were saying, _Evans_?"

"What is this place, James?" She had asked before even opening the door. "Wait, is it safe to open?"

"Lily, do you really think that I would take you somewhere that isn't safe?" James asked with a small smile on his face.

"Well, you did charm my hair green in first year." She fired back with a smile. "Come on, Lily, just open the door," James said rolling his eyes.

Lily hesitantly reached out in front of her and grasped the handle. Pushing the door open, she gasped. Before her, there was a room with walls made of red brick. The floor was cement, but had a smooth glaze over it and in the middle of the room there was a large, stone fireplace with a worn, red love seat facing it. There was a soft plaid blanket laid over the back of it. On either side of the love seat were end tables with books stacked on them, which turned out to be Lily's favorite books. James watched her as her eyes sparkled in amazement at the magic before her eyes. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her in that moment, but restrained himself. Lily turned to him. "James, this place is amazing!"

He smiled. "It's called the Room of Requirement. Also known as the come and go room. It presents itself to any student who is in need, and provides them with the accommodations. Pretty cool, isn't it?"

Lily turned her gaze back to the room and simply said, "I love magic." She then went and sat on the loveseat and grabbed the books off of the end table closest to her. She noticed that James was hesitantly standing back at the entrance of the room. "Are you going to come sit, or are you just going to stand there all day?" She asked with a smirk. James gave a small smile, blushing, and came and sat next to her. Looking at the book in her hands, he asked, "What's 'The Great Gatsby'?"

For a moment, Lily was confused, but then remembered that James had grown up in the Wizarding World and had no idea what muggle literature was like. "It's a book that my sister had to read for a literature class. They did a unit on American writers and F. Scott Fitzgerald was one of the authors that they studied." She continued to explain the story in great detail, and James sat there and looked at her, studying her. He loved the way her eyes lit up when she was talking about something that she was extremely passionate about or interested in. She stood for what she believed in, and was not afraid of the consequences for it. Another thing he loved about her was the way that she treated those around her. She genuinely cared about each person that she came in contact with, regardless of how they treated her. It was these things that made him love her, not just her outer appearance. But that's not to say that she wasn't beautiful. James continued to gaze into her eyes, mesmerized, when he realized that she was no longer talking, but also looking back at him with a small blush creeping up on her cheeks. He, too, flushed waiting for the heartbreaking blow. "Lily—"

But Lily had cut him off. "James, I need to talk to you before you say anything." She waited for him to interrupt, and when he didn't, she continued. "Okay. I don't really know how to say this, but I'm going to try to explain it.

"You're changing. You've stopped hexing people in the hallways just because you can and you're actually looking out for the younger students. I know I've always insulted you for your obsession with quidditch, but as captain, you look out for your team and not only do you set high goals for them, you _help them achieve them._ And the way that you're so loyal with your friends; I mean, honestly, the way that you treat them is beyond me. You've gone to amazing lengths to be loyal to each of them. Including Peter despite what everyone thinks about him, letting Sirius come and live with you when his family cast him out, and I'm not even going to say what the three of you have done for Remus…"

"Wait, what are you talking about?" James asked nervously. He had been dumbfounded up until the mention of the Marauder's most important secret.

Lily smiled. "I found out that Remus was a werewolf during second year. He found out that I knew last year during rounds. As for the three of you, well. If you're going to do something illegal, like becoming unregistered animagi, then you might not want to send Sirius to the library. Honestly, I was shocked that he knew where the library was."

James was looking at her with an unreadable expression. "Why didn't you turn us in? You hated us, and you had the perfect opportunity."

Lily gave a small smile. "Can I finish, please?" He nodded.

"Okay. Well. As to answer your question, and finish what I began saying earlier, I have never hated you. I know I came across that way, and I've even screamed that at you on several occasions, but it's not true. I've wanted to hate you, but I can't. Not when you did such a thing for Remus, and especially not when you've saved Severus. Yes, James. I know about it. Snape came and told me right after it happened and tried to blame it on you. He also tried to out Remus, but I told him to keep his mouth shut. So I have to ask, why did you do it?"

James looked at her incredulously. "You've got to be joking. I couldn't let that happen to anyone. I watch Remus transform every month, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone, even my worst enemy. And even so, thinking of how it would hurt you to see your closest friend hurt like that? I'm not a monster, Lily."

Lily just smiled again. "I knew you were going to say something along those lines. James, look. I don't think you're a monster. So do you think you can shut up and let me finish without your emotions changing like a third year?" James smirked and crossed his arms. "Okay, good. Before you fly off the handle, you really need to listen to all that I have to say, okay James?" He nodded.

She continued, hesitantly. "James… I think… I think I might fancy you. But I'm not ready to rush into anything, and I know that me telling you this might just be getting your hopes up, but I just want to explain to you where I'm at."

"You fancy me?" James could hardly get the words out. He didn't even believe them. "Did Sirius put you up to this?"

Lily laughed. "No. James have you been listening to anything I said the past twenty minutes?"

Understanding started clouding James face, along with a small smile and hope in his eyes, but it was still guarded. "You fancy me?" he repeated. Lily nodded, slowly, and said, "But James…"

The boy in question stood up and huffed. "But what, Evans? Why did you tell me this if you're just going to tell me this and then say I have no chance?"

She hadn't expected him to be angry. "James…"

"No, Lily, you listen. You can't toy with me like this. It's not fair to me. I've been over the bloody moon about you since first year and…"

"JAMES." He stopped ranting and looked at her. She had that same small smile on her face, but was a little guarded. "I'm not saying you have no chance. Do you honestly think that lowly of me? Yes, I've known your feelings since third year, the first time you asked me out, but James, I was scared. I was in third year and I didn't want to get hurt. You weren't consistent James, and that terrified me. But over Christmas break and these past couple of months have been different. It's made me realize that I've probably fancied you longer than I've even realized."

"So, what's the problem? I like you, you like me. Doesn't that mean that we should…"

"There in lies the problem, James. Well, it isn't a problem, but this is what I wanted you to understand. We've been friends for a total of three months after _hating_ each other for five and a half years. Yes, I fancy you James, but I want to make sure that for _your sake_, not mine, that I am sure about this. So, that being said, do you think that we can still be friends and see if it goes anywhere?"

Full understanding had reached James. She was looking at him imploringly and he finally got it. She really did care about him. By this time they were both standing about a foot apart. He reached out and pulled her into a hug and she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Of course, Lily," he murmured. "I would do anything for you. I want you to know that."

They pulled back and she had a smile on her face. They held eye contact, and their smiles slowly dropped as they got lost in each other's eyes. "I'd really like to kiss you right now." James almost smacked himself for saying it out loud. Lily looked a little tensed, and said, "Okay." He searched her eyes for a contradiction. He slowly leaned down and she closed her eyes, and he kissed her… on the forehead. Lily looked up at him, confused. James returned that look with a lopsided grin. "Look, Lily, we've just established that we both _finally_ return feelings for each other. I don't want to ruin it by kissing you too soon. Besides, we've also just established that we were going to take it slow. You've just said, in so many words, that if I do this right, then I could actually prove myself to you. I'm not about to mess this up. I really care about you, Lily."

She smiled, gratefully and said, "It's almost time for dinner. Maybe we should go meet up with our friends?"

"Absolutely," he said with a smile.

**Author's Note: So, that's all for this chapter. There is going to be more of a thickening plot, but there are a couple of things that I would like to ask. One, would you guys, please, review? It's hard for me to better my story without other's critiques. Also, if you have anything that you should like to see in particular, then please, by all means, give me suggestions. They're really cool, and they help add to my creativity. Thanks bunches.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Again, I don't own anything…**

As the couple returned to the table, their friends noticed a difference. Lily was blushing, and James looked like he had won the lottery. The pair sat next to each other and each time one of their arms would brush against the other, the two would blush furiously. Five out of the six, said nothing, yet continued to exchange knowing glances; One of them, however, decided to give them a hard time.

"Did you guys finally shag?"

All eyes turned incredulously to Remus Lupin, who had a mischievous look on his face. "Mate, I didn't know you had it in you. I am so proud!" Sirius said while wiping fake tears from his face. The two laughed and high fived across the table, while Lily blushed furiously, and James scowled.

"You guys are gits."

Their friends had busted into peals of laughter and James and Lily had turned a deeper hue of red. "You guys really are gits," James repeated. He was clearly annoyed. "Pass me that cup of pumpkin juice, Padfoot."

* * *

><p>They managed to make it through supper, but not without the innuendos that accompanied each change of subject. As soon as dinner was over, though, Mary, Marlene, and Alice dragged off Lily to the girls' dormitory, while the Marauders dragged off James to the boys'. Both, however, were expecting a brutal interrogation by their friends.<p>

As soon as the girls' door was shut, Mary, Marlene, and Alice began bombarding Lily with questions.

"Did you two really shag?"

"Was it a snogfest?"

"Is he really as good as all the girls say?"

Lily sat down on the bed and sighed.

"Did you slap him?"

"No, Marlene, why would Lily slap him? She fancies the pants off him… So, did you get his pants of, Lils?"

"Are you two officially together now?"

"Guys! Will you CALM DOWN?" Lily rarely raised her voice unless James Potter was around. The other girls fell silent, but with matching smirks on their faces. "Well?" Marlene pressed, sensing Lily's hesitation. "Go on."

Lily sighed. "No, we didn't shag. It was NOT a snogfest, so that means I wouldn't know if what all the other girls say is true. I didn't slap him because he was very sweet and considerate, and I do not 'fancy his pants off'. Everyone's pants stayed on. And that last question, no. We are not officially together."

"No! No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I refuse to believe any of that. We saw you two in the library—"

"You were spying on us in the library?" Lily exclaimed.

"That's besides the point. As I was saying, we saw you two making googly eyes at each other and then you two went off together. Then, when you came to the Great Hall for dinner, you were a shade of red that could compete with your hair colour. Now tell us what happened!" demanded Marlene.

"Well, he knows that I fancy him."

"Then why aren't you two dating yet?" asked Mary.

"I basically explained where I was at. I just started recognizing these feelings over Christmas break and I honestly don't know how to deal with them. I told him that I've spent the past five and a half years thinking I hated him, and he thought I did too. I don't want to jump into this."

"Lil, have you thought about the fact that James _isn't_ jumping into this? He has been after you since first year. Anyone with eyes can see it. Why do you think Snape hated him so much?" Alice tried to reason.

"Look," Lily said. "I told him that I wanted to be friends for now and then we'll see where it takes us. I said that I didn't want to jump into this for his sake, not mine. I know how much he's liked me over the past years now that I've looked back without Snape clouding my vision. I don't want to hurt him again." By the end of this, Lily was blushing again, looking at her feet.

"You really care about him, don't you Lily?" Mary didn't say it like a question, but more of a statement of fact. Lily nodded. Mary continued on, "And you two are friends right now?"

"With the intention of becoming more, I hope," Lily replied softly. It was quiet for a moment until Marlene spoke up. "Well, at least she sees reason now. I don't know if I could take another bloody moment of this 'I don't like that arrogant toe-rag, Potter'."

And with that, fits of giggling broke out amongst them.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, in the boy's dormitory, the Marauders were doing the same thing to James. The only difference was that James wasn't giving up anything.<p>

"That's how ya do it, Prongs!"

"Did you shag?"

"Broom cupboard?"

"Hit up the Shrieking Shack?"

James merely shook his head incredulously and collapsed on his bed, closing his eyes. That was when Sirius jumped on top of him, throwing his arms around him proclaiming, "Prongs! Why won't you tell us anything?"

"Really, Prongs. You've told us everything about your relationship with Lily up until this point, and now you won't say anything? Fess up!" said Remus.

James sighed. "I took her to the Room of Requirement. We sat, we talked. We're friends. She knows that we're animagi. She's known since we began researching the possibility, and she didn't say anything. She said that she's never really hated me. She only acted like it because things were so complicated with Snape.

"I love her."

Sirius snuggled into James' shoulder causing James to shove him off violently while Sirius laughed from the floor. Peter spoke up and said, "We know, Prongs. We've known since first year when you charmed her hair green."

They all chuckled. "What was your reasoning behind that, James?" asked Remus. James looked up sheepishly and said, "It matched her eyes." The boys' laughter filled the boys dormitories and continued reminiscing into the night.

* * *

><p>The next morning, the behavior of James Potter and Lily Evans shocked everyone. The two would walk with their friends, but that wasn't what shocked them. James would say something, and Lily would laugh and blush. Their arms would brush up against each other's and they would blush and look the other way. James would hold doors open for her and she would shyly tuck her hair behind her ear and mutter a "thanks" with a small smile.<p>

The majority of the school was ecstatic to see the two finally getting along. There were a few, some girls that were obsessed with the Gryffindor Quidditch captain and some boys that wanted a shot at the unattainable prefect, but more namely, one Severus Snape was not too happy with this new product. He knew that only he could make Lily see reason, or so he thought.

It was lunchtime when Severus walked over to the Gryffindor table and tapped his once best friend on the shoulder. "Lily," he said hesitantly. The table that was once a relaxed, friendly atmosphere quickly became tense and hostile. "What do you want, _Snivellus_?" snarled Sirius.

Severus didn't focus on that at the moment. "Lily." The girl in question was focusing on the floor at the moment. "Can I please talk to you for a moment… Alone?"

"No. Absolutely not," James had cut in now with his hand crashing in a fist on the table. "Whatever you want to talk to Lily about, you can say right in front of us…" He was cut off by Lily resting her hand on top if his. Severus glared at the contact. "It's okay, James. We won't go far."

Lily stood up and walked just outside of the Great Hall and into the entryway. Severus followed her hopefully. She turned with a blank face and asked in a bored tone, "What do you want Snape?"

"Potter? Really Lily? You're with him now?"

"I'm not with him, Severus. James and I just friends, for now."

"Ah. So you're just friends with him and yet you're letting him into your knickers and shagging in broom cupboards now? Really classy, Lily."

"We are NOT shagging! We are just friends for the time being." Lily was outraged at the assumptions of her former best friend.

Severus looked outraged for a totally different reason. "_For the time being_?" He asked incredulously. "What does that even mean? That you're actually _considering_ dating that egotistical prat?"

Lily scoffed. "Do you even hear yourself? You sound like an immature child ranting on about him. And besides, you lost the right to care about me when you called me a mudblood last year!"

"Lily, I've already told you that I didn't mean to say it! And I have never stopped caring for you in the whole seven years I've known you!" Severus stopped himself before he shared his love for her. Lily chuckled lowly, without humor. "Severus, if you think for a second I believe that load of crap, you clearly never knew me. And don't interrupt me! If you honestly didn't mean to call me a mudblood, then why was it even a thought in your head? You wouldn't have even thought it if you didn't mean it on some level. And as for the whole 'caring about me' bit, I think my response from your first bullshit excuse explains how I feel about your second bullshit excuse."

Severus was shocked, as was the audience that had accumulated. Lily ever swore unless she was extremely angry. He opened his mouth in a weak attempt to defend himself, but Lily cut him off. "James and I are friends now. He's caring and loyal to all of his friends," and then Lily got a look mixed with pity and anger and finished with this, "and he's twice the man you will ever be, and I really care about him. Please leave us alone. It's done."

And with that Lily walked off, leaving Severus with a wounded ego and a broken heart as he watched James Bloody Potter, who had stolen the love of his life away from him, chase after her.

* * *

><p><strong>So, that's another long overdue update! I have no excuse other than I had a severe case of writer's block and didn't sit down to update. But thanks to those who reviewed, favorited and followed this story. It really means a lot! I'm getting to work on another chapter, but I'm unsure of when I will be able to get it out since next week I have 2 tests and then the week after I have finals. But please review and give suggestions!<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**I don't own this. I'm not that cool.**

The Potter manor was quiet. This was surprising considering it was currently inhabited by both James Potter and Sirius Black, but seeing as one of the two trouble makers was asleep, the house was calm. The other Marauder was sitting on one of the many balconies thinking about the previous term of school, and how much had changed. It was now early August, and James Potter wanted nothing more than to write a letter to a certain red headed girl. But he knew that wasn't possible. This caused a memory to resurface for probably the thousandth time this week alone.

* * *

><p><em>They had all been sitting at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. James and Lily had continued an awkward flirtation, much to the rest of the group's delight. After the confrontation with Snape, James comforted Lily, made her laugh and feel safe again. It seemed as though they were in their own little world. They could talk about anything together. Their friends would often tease James and Lily about it individually, but never together. Every one of their friends wanted this to work out. <em>

_As the group sat and talked around the table, they did not notice as Madame Pomfery quietly, but purposefully made her way into the room and up to where Professor Dumbledore sat. She leaned forward and quietly whispered something in his ear. Abruptly, Professor Dumbledore stood from the professor's table and rushed from the Great Hall following Madame Pomfery. Silence overtook the room for a moment, and then the whispers broke out. "I heard that Stacy Hinkhaus was pregnant." "I bet someone is getting kicked out of school!" "I wonder who…"_

"_I wonder what that was about?" Remus thought out loud. The group continued to throw out ideas, but Lily was silent. James noticed first, wrapped his arm around her and asked, "What's wrong, Lils?"_

"_I just can't shake the feeling that something terrible has happened. Not just because Dumbledore sprinted out, but I have this feeling of dread and I can't shake it," Lily said uneasily. James pulled her close and whispered in her ear, "We've got Dumbledore. Nothing ever goes wrong with him." _

_As James continued comforting her, the man in question walked up. "Miss Evans, if you could please follow me to the hospital wing, your presence is needed there," Dumbledore requested quietly. James watched as the color drained from Lily's face, a hint of confusion clouding it. "Can James come with me?" she appealed softly. "Actually, Mister Potter, your parents are in the hospital wing and would love to see you. Feel free to tag along."_

_With shaking knees, Lily got up without making eye contact with anyone at the table. James stood, making eye contact with Sirius, making a mutual, silent agreement to share everything that happens. Together, James and Lily walked hand in hand to the hospital wing. As soon as the doors opened, the pair was bombarded by a woman who looked exactly like Lily, but a few years older. _

"_Mum, what are you doing here?" Lily asked, confused. A man with salt and pepper hair slowly approached and engulfed the two women in a hug. James could obviously assume they were Lily's parents. It wasn't Lily's mom who answered the open question, it was James' father, who was sitting quietly next to his mother._

_ "Miss Evans, James, if you would please sit down so that we could explain," Mr. Potter requested politely. "We haven't met before, although it seems like I've known you for almost 6 years now because of how much my son speaks of you." Both James and Lily blushed deeply, while their parents all smiled knowingly. "My name is Charlus Potter, and this here is my wife, Dorea. We are the co-Heads of the Auror department. Earlier today, there was an attack on your house. Luckily, no one was home."_

_ "Thank God, I was wondering where Petunia was," Lily sighed in relief. Charlus smiled in return. Her mom responded, "She's at Vernon's house. She… Well, she didn't feel comfortable coming here." Lily looked disappointed. Charlus continued, "Your parents saw the Dark Mark above their house where we were already investigating. Once we found out that you were a student here, I, and the rest of the aurors on this case, thought that they might be more safe here."_

_Lily looked up in gratitude. "Thank you so much Mr. Potter." James chuckled knowing what was going to happen next. "Please don't call me 'Mr. Potter'. Any girl who is willing to call James out on his outrageously stupid decisions has my respect," Charlus said smiling. Lily looked down and blushed. Charlus became serious. "Mr. and Mrs. Evans, we do have something serious to talk about."_

_Lily and her parents looked at each other. This time, it was Dorea who spoke. "We feel that it isn't safe for you to return to your home. I know this is tough to chew on, but we want to make sure you are safe. One of the ways we can do that is by completely evacuating your home and moving you to a safe house with the protection of the fidelius charm."_

_Lily's father spoke up, "What does this charm do?"_

_Naturally, Lily answered immediately, "The fidelius charm is extremely complex magic involving hiding a but of secret information inside of a single living soul. The information is hidden inside of the person, also known as a Secret-Keeper, making it impossible to find unless the person chooses to divulge the information. Essentially, we could hide in plain sight and not be found." James, Dumbledore, and her parents looked at her with pride. Charlus and Dorea looked at her with appreciation. _

"_Harold, this really is one of the most safe things we can offer you," Dorea said with a comforting smile. _

"_But I just don't understand why we would need to move our home. Where would we go?" Harold asked._

_It was Dumbledore who replied. "The best thing we can do is to remove you completely from the threat. It is my suggestion that we move you to somewhere out of Europe. While I understand that this is extremely difficult for us to ask you, I really must stress the danger that is about to embark in the Wizarding World. The man calls himself Voldemort, and he believes himself, as well as other wizards of what is called 'pure blood', superior to muggleborn witches and wizards and non-magic folk. Removing you from the area you live in and relocating you to a less active area would be the best way to almost guarantee safety."_

"_Well I do like that it can somewhat guarantee safety," said Harold, looking at his wife and daughter protectively._

"_But Harry, what about Petunia?" asked Lily's mum. Dorea looked at her confused. "Who is Petunia, Cecilia?"_

"_Petunia is my sister. She doesn't exactly like magic. More like she resents it entirely," Lily said grudgingly._

"_Lily," Cecilia reprimanded. "She's just a little uncomfortable."_

"_I'm sorry Mum, but there is a difference between being uncomfortable and outright hating it. She despises me, Mum," Lily reasoned. Harold stayed out of it._

"_Well, who is she staying with right now?" asked Dorea. Cecilia replied, "She's currently at her boyfriend's house."_

"_And he's a muggle?"_

"_I don't know if Vermin can be classified as a muggle," Lily retorted. Harold bit down some laughter. "Lily! Stop talking badly about him. You barely know him," Cecilia scolded. _

"_Well, who's fault is that? Any time I'm home, I've tried to get to know him with an open mind, but Petunia's got everyone believing that I'm a bloody psyco that needs to be locked up! And then you keep me away from them to try to avoid the problem. There's only so much I can do to try to get to know the whale of a man!" Lily exclaimed. She breathed heavily for a moment and then looked at her mother. "I'm sorry Mum, you don't deserve me taking this out on you. It's also my fault I'm away at school for 9 months of the year. And now to top it off, there are prejudiced people attacking our home…" Lily trailed off with a shaky breath. _

"_Which is exactly why we would like to relocate your family, Lily. You don't need to be stressed out being worried about your family, and Harold, Cecilia, you both deserve a place that you can safely call home. Petunia can choose to come with you lot, but if her boyfriend's family are muggles, then she should be safe staying there if that would make her more comfortable. We just want to make sure you're safe," Charlus said with a smile. _

_Harold and Cecilia seemed to be deep in thought while looking at each other. As though they were making a decision together without words. James looked between the two, somewhat amazed._

"_I think we should do this. We'll have to phone Petunia of course, but I want to make sure my family is safe," Harold said decidedly. _

"_Well, it's settled then!" Dumbledore said delightedly. "Although, before we disclose the location of the home, we need to go over a few things. Lily, this may be a very lonely summer for you. To ensure the utmost safety for you and your family, I must request that you give up contact with the magical world for the summer. Your professors will be notified that you cannot do any wand work this summer."_

_Lily looked put out as well as a little nervous. "By contact, you mean…?"_

_Dumbledore smiled wryly. "Yes, Lily. I know it's a lot to ask of you, but I don't want anyone knowing your location. I want to make sure you are safe this summer, and I'm sure I am not the only one who feels this way," he replied, side-glancing at James. Lily looked distraught._

"_Wait, what is he saying?" asked James, clearly out of the loop. Charlus and Dorea looked at their son with sympathy. "James honey, what Professor Dumbledore is saying is that Lily won't be able to contact any of her friends over the summer," Dorea tried to soothe her son._

"_What? No! You can't completely separate her! How will any of us know if she's okay?"_

"_Son, the only people who will know where they are will be the Evans', Professor Dumbledore, and whoever their Secret-Keeper will be," Charlus answered. "Those two will be the only people in contact with them during the summer."_

"_Then make me the Secret-Keeper!" James exclaimed. _

"_No!"_

_Everyone turned and looked at Lily. James was more shocked than the rest. "Why not, Lily? I would never betray your trust!"_

"_If anyone ever found out that you were the Secret-Keeper, you would be in danger. I can't imagine if anything happened to you because of me," Lily reasoned quietly. Dumbledore looked between the two, fondly._

"_I don't like this Lily," James huffed. She took his hand and smiled at him. "It will be okay. I'll see you in September. And then I'll reprimand you so much you'll be sick of me."_

_James chuckled. "I don't think I could ever be sick of you." It was at this moment that Harold coughed uncomfortably. Lily blushed and released James' hand._

"_Well, Potter family, if you could excuse us, I will tell the Evans' the location of their safe-house."_

_With that, the three left the room._

* * *

><p>James could still remember what happened when he and Lily could meet up again.<p>

* * *

><p><em>He was sitting on a couch in the common room when she had come back with slightly red eyes. She sat next to him and he immediately wrapped her in a hug. "It'll be okay, Lils. Three months tops, and you'll have to deal with me and Padfoot again. You'll be ready for a vacation." He laughed trying to diffuse the tension. Lily looked serious, though. <em>

"_James… I don't think I could ever be tired of having you around."_

_He smiled softly at that. "Well, I should hope not, since I am still trying to get you to go on a date with me." He thought she would laugh at that, but instead, she did the one thing he least expected. Lily closed the distance between the two and kissed him. It was completely unexpected on his part. When they broke apart, Lily blushed and looked down. James lifted her head, "What was that for, Lily?" He asked her softly. She still refused to make eye contact with him. "Lils?"_

"_I just wanted to know what it felt like to kiss you." With that, he leaned in and kissed her again._

* * *

><p>The most frustrating part about that moment was that Lily was gone to her safe house the next morning. And James had no idea where she was. He had no idea where they stood on that kiss or their feelings. He was lost.<p>

"Hey mate."

"Hey Padfoot."

Sirius sat down beside James on the balcony. "You thinking about her again?"

James sighed. "I can't get her off my mind. And now with this ruddy letter, all I want to do is share this with her." James had a crumpled letter in his hand with the Hogwarts emblem on it.

"Prongs, mate, you're going to make an excellent Head Boy. I mean, we'll get away with _everything_," he said with a grin. "And I'm sure that the lovely Lily will be Head Girl, so you two get those snazzy Head's rooms… You lot get a bit of privacy." He trailed off with a smirk.

"Yeah, that's not happening anytime soon. I really want to make this last. I want to marry this girl one day, Padfoot."

Sirius looked a little shocked.

"Yes, Padfoot, I want to marry her. These past few months have made me realize that I never want to be parted from her again. She's it for me."

Padfoot laughed. "I mean, I had a feeling that was the case, but I'm a little shocked to hear you admit it."

"It's a little terrifying to admit that I need her, but I'd rather acknowledge it than suppress it."

"Well, in a few days you'll see her again, so that's good, right?"

James looked down with apprehension. "See, that's the thing. We kissed. No, we snogged. A Lot. And I have no idea where we stand. Does she want a relationship? Is she still not ready? Or worse, has she gotten over whatever we have? I can't even bear to imagine what I would do if that last one were true…"

"Prongs," Sirius said, clapping his best friend's shoulder, "You can be terrified of what-ifs forever. You'll never know until it happens. Play it by ear tomorrow. But I have a feeling you wont have to."

"Why are you being so optimistic about this, Padfoot?" James said confused. "Normally, you're the one being a downer about the whole 'serious relationship thing'."

"Prongs, I've got 15 galleons riding on your reunion with the fiery-haired maiden. Wormtail thinks that you'll do something stupid and ruin the whole thing. Moony thinks that she'll need some more time before she actually commits."

"And what do you think, Padfoot?" James asked grinning.

Sirius stood up to go back inside. "I think she'll jump your bloody bones at the train station in front of everybody. And she better not let me down!"

* * *

><p><strong>Dear readers;<strong>

**I AM SO SORRY. One, I changed my name. So that's cool. Two, this took forever for me to get out. I've been working on different pieces for a while and I didn't like it until this version came out. Three, my computer crashed, and so I lost EVERYTHING. I'm really into photography, and I lost over 2,000 pictures as well as everything I had been working on. So that really sucked. **

**Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. How do you all think the reunion will go? Do you believe Remus, Peter, or Sirius should win the bet? Let me know!**


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